A FIFTH Park & Ride site could be on the way for Chester motorists as two major traffic schemes are announced for the city.

Cheshire County Council's environment advisory committee have set the wheels in motion for the Chester schemes.

Members agreed to investigate the feasibility of a Chester western relief Road and a fifth Park & Ride site.

It follows recommendations from the Chester Local Transport Plan panel that both schemes should be priorities in the Chester Transport Strategy.

County council officers will now draw up detailed plans for each scheme so they can investigate land, planning, economic and environmental issues.

The Chester western relief road would run from Sealand Road via the edge of Saltney to Chester Business Park. The single-carriageway route is intended to divert traffic from the congested city centre, particularly the inner ring road.

County Councillor John Burke said: 'Many local people support this scheme and can see the benefits of reducing volumes of traff ic on Wrexham Road and Lache Lane, which has become a busy highway.

'It would also decrease the volume of traffic crossing the Grosvenor Bridge and would therefore benef it the city centre.'

Following concerns about the possible impact of the relief road on local residents, councillors agreed an amendment by Labour's Environment spokesman David Robinson for further investigation to assess the benef its of the scheme.

The proposed Park & Ride facility - which originally formed part of the CDTS guided busway scheme for Chester - would be located at the end of the M53 in Hoole.

Although the Park & Ride site already has Government approval as part of the CDTS scheme, it will need to be reassessed.

County councillor Molly Hale, member for Hoole, said: 'I am supportive of continuing our programme of Park & Ride facilities, but we need more investigation as to the routing of the bus and the mitigation measures previously proposed for the benefit of local people.'

Concerns were also raised about a proposal in the Chester Transport Strategy to close a section of the inner ring road near the Amphitheatre to private cars.

Members agreed an amendment put forward by Cllr Burke that the road should not be closed unless it can be shown through modelling that this would prove a net overall benefit to traff ic management.